May 09, 2014

Coyne apologizes for dog headdress

Wayne Coyne Apologizes to Natives, Calls Fallin's Behavior 'Stupid'In an interview with Rolling Stone, Wayne Coyne of psychedelic alt-rock band the Flaming Lips has addressed the controversy over his friend Christina Fallin's cultural insensitivity and the firing of drummer Kliph Scurlock, which Scurlock says resulted from his criticism of Fallin.

Regarding the picture of the dog in a headdress that he posted to Instagram, Coyne initially gives a non-apology apology, saying "I regret that some people took it wrong," and that the dog had the headdress on "for the same reasons that Gwen Stefani or anybody else would wear it, because it's cool-looking." But--credit where credit's due--he followed those less-than-satisfying comments with this:

I understand now that if I'm a spokesperson for any kind of behavior, I shouldn't have done it, and I regret doing it now. I am sorry. I realize now that it goes deeply to the heart of some Native Americans. And I definitely regret it.

Coyne also discussed the performance of Fallin's band, Pink Pony, at the Norman Music Festival. "I thought [Pink Pony] making fun of the protestors seemed stupid," he said. "I thought their attitude was wrong. And I just thought, 'Why don't you just go out there and play your music, tell them you're sorry and play some cool music, and that would be what the festival is about?' And Pink Pony handled it badly. I agree with all that."

By WennCoyne, meanwhile, wrote a message of support for Fallin online, posting images of friends and a dog wearing head-dresses.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the singer admits he was wrong to poke fun at Native Americans.

He says, "That was never our intention, and I realise now that it goes deeply to the heart of some Native Americans. I definitely regret it.

"I would say that I'm very sorry, to anybody that is following my Instagram or my Twitter, if I offended anybody of any religion, any race, any belief system. I would say you shouldn't follow my tweets; you shouldn't even probably want to be a Flaming Lips fan because we don't really have any agenda. We go about doing things through our imagination. And I would say that if we wrongly stepped on anybody's sacredness, then we're sorry about that. That was never our intention... I shouldn't have done it, and I regret doing it now. I am sorry."Wayne Coyne Responds to Firing of Drummer Kliph Scurlock